WASHINGTON, DC – Today Representative Yvette D. Clarke released the following statement in honor of the 84th birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

“As we celebrate the inauguration of President Barack Obama for his second term as President of the United States, we should remember a leader whose work contributed to this historic occasion, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” stated Representative Yvette D. Clarke. “Dr. King dedicated his life to the idea that all Americans, regardless of their skin color, deserved equal rights and opportunities.

“Dr. King fought back against bigotry, hatred, and intolerance not through violence or threats, but through peace and understanding. He bravely led demonstrations and marches against intolerance, remaining peaceful even when confronted with violence.

“In August of 1963, Dr. King led his famous  March on Washington, during which he famously stated ‘I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.’ And while our country has made significant strides since that historic speech, we still have more work to do.

“As a beneficiary of Dr. King’s work and the civil rights movement it is my privilege and duty to help the country forward and work to realize his dream of a ‘promised land,’” concluded Representative Clarke.

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U.S. Representative Yvette D. Clarke is a member of the House Small Business Committee and the Homeland Security Committee, where she is the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies. She represents several neighborhoods in central and southern Brooklyn, NY which includes Brownsville, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Flatbush, Gerritsen Beach, Madison, Midwood, Ocean Hill, parts of Park Slope and Flatlands, Prospect Heights, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, Sheepshead Bay, and Windsor Terrace.